Jupiter Theatre is anti-racism and anti-oppression. Period. We know that if we are silent, we are complicit in supporting the racist and oppressive system we live in and we are not okay with that. We are starting with this declaration to clearly express our support for the BIPOC community and our commitment to explore ways of becoming a better anti-racism/anti-oppression company moving forward.

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Jupiter Theatre is about exploring. That’s what we do. We strive to step outside of our comfort zones in our art, and right now, we're uncomfortable with the ongoing injustices happening in our world, and our complacency up until this point to speak out against it. We value the importance of discomfort at this time. We're going to sit in it. We're going to reflect on it. And moving forward, we're going to be more responsive to it.

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We acknowledge our white privilege. We have so much to learn and unlearn about our power and our place in the community and ways that we can leverage our privilege to amplify and make space for marginalized voices. We acknowledge that our biases are deeply entrenched. We need to explore the world with a deliberate consideration for how others explore the world, and recognize that others have not been afforded the opportunity to explore at all. We need to honour the work the BIPOC community and other underrepresented groups have done to get us where we are. We won’t let white fragility get in the way of positive action against racism.

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As a company, we’ve made mistakes in the past. We are not going to let that stop us from doing better in the future and making a better world. We will continue to do the work because we know that the work is never done. The work is ongoing and we will actively explore ways of doing that work sustainably.

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We don’t have all the answers. We’re not perfect and we’re okay with that as long as we’re improving. We are open to dialogue. If you’d like to start a dialogue, reach out to us. Send an email to our Artistic Producer Andrew G. Cooper at andrew@theatrejupiter.com. 

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We want to work towards dismantling systems of oppression, both within and outside of the theatre community. We’re committed to ending our complicity in the current system that we benefit from. We’ll do this, not through a single statement, but through everyday learning, action, and relationship building. This is the first day, the very first step, on our very long journey. We look forward to updating you more on our future action plan. 

 

The Jupiter Theatre Team

 

Jelena Minshall, Andrew G. Cooper, Madeleine Taylor-Gregg, Cassandra Watson, Constantine X. Anastasakis, Skylar Desjardins